Simone Cantafio

Chef Simone Cantafio’s culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in the concept that "The Earth is Alive," a motto inspired by Marquis Incisa della Rocchetta. This ethos prioritizes quality over quantity, rejecting industrialization and invasive agricultural practices. His vision is shaped by a lineage of culinary masters, particularly Gualtiero Marchesi, who instilled in him the principle of "less architecture, more clarity," advocating for dishes built with a few precisely cooked elements and thoughtful sauces. His eleven years working with Michel and Sébastien Bras in Hokkaido further solidified an "Asian logic" of subtraction, where high-level dishes are defined by what is removed, leading to a preference for fewer, more powerful ingredients, meticulously chosen for their exceptional quality to speak for themselves. Cantafio describes his food as local ingredients seen through an international lens, reflecting his Milanese birth, Calabrian heritage, Japanese wife, and extensive time in France and Hokkaido. Cantafio’s approach is a direct adaptation to nature, not an imposition upon it. He meticulously changes his menu every season, driven by the genuine changes in the Dolomites' pantry—from spring herbs to winter roots. Sourcing is a cornerstone, involving deeply human work to build personal relationships, often friendships, with local farmers, foragers, and fishermen across Alto Adige-Südtirol and Italy. Examples include Günther from Val di Funes for sheep, Harald from Barbiano for roots and herbs, and Alois and Lucia for Graukäse. He supports three specific gardens to provide complementary seasonal vegetables, entirely avoiding energy-intensive greenhouse produce. Wild herbs are gathered through foraging with local experts. For bread, he collaborates with farmers to recover ancient South Tyrolean grains, which are locally milled and then developed into specific seasonal breads. Meat sourcing focuses on small local farms, and for fish, he strictly demands sustainable Mediterranean catches or prefers lake/river fish to minimize environmental impact. A radical expression of his philosophy is the "Incö" table ("today" in Ladin), a single, secluded dining experience where the menu is determined daily by what local suppliers bring. This concept transforms scarcity into an advantage, highlighting often-overlooked products and fostering communal dining. "Incö" also serves to raise awareness for a more sustainable cuisine, closer to the earth and its cultivators, far from extravagance. Beyond sourcing, Cantafio’s commitment to sustainability extends to the kitchen and dining room: plastic and non-recyclable materials are eschewed, tableware is thoughtfully curated from Tuscan companies or vintage finds, and historic embroidered tablecloths are reused. All vegetable scraps are repurposed into 100% vegetable sauces, cooked at low temperatures to extract rich umami, thereby reducing waste and enhancing flavor. The kitchen also prioritizes efficient use of whole animals, ensuring no part goes to waste. Cantafio approaches cooking as a multi-sensory experience. Visually, he draws inspiration from photography and "the beauty of natural imperfections" from Japan, enhancing natural forms and colors. Aurally, he values silence in the kitchen, allowing the sounds of cooking to guide his team, fostering concentration and sensitivity to ingredients. For taste, he employs Marchesi's "rule of contrasts"—hot-cold, acid-fat, soft-crunchy—to stimulate the palate and convey a clear message. Tactilely, he cherishes physical contact with raw materials, preferring the direct heat of fire over modern technology like sous-vide, which he sees as diminishing the "poetry of contact" between chef and ingredient. Olfactory experiences are deeply tied to his childhood memories of vibrant markets, which he contrasts with the "sadness" of modern supermarket packaging, advocating for authentic aromas to spark creativity and memory. Chef Simone Cantafio's technical style is characterized by a "subtraction" philosophy, favoring a concise selection of high-quality ingredients that are allowed to speak for themselves. He masters the "rule of contrasts," playing with hot-cold, acid-fat, and soft-crunchy textures to create stimulating and memorable dishes. His preference for fire and direct contact with ingredients over high-tech kitchen gadgets underscores a romantic and tactile approach to cooking. Cantafio's plating emphasizes natural beauty, eschewing standardized presentations in favor of enhancing the unique forms and colors of each element. His cuisine is distinctly vegetable-forward, consciously reducing meat's role and elevating vegetables to protagonists, utilizing every scrap to craft umami-rich, 100% vegetable sauces. The "Incö" table, where the menu is entirely dictated by daily local harvests, exemplifies his dedication to hyper-seasonality and direct connection with terroir, making it a signature experience. Among his most lauded creations, embodying his philosophy, are: * Raviolo di patate della Val Pusteria farcito di coniglio in porchetta, con la giardiniera di finocchio, caviale e nage iodata (Potato ravioli from Pusteria Valley stuffed with rabbit porchetta, with fennel giardiniera, caviar, and iodized nage). * Lasagnetta di sedano rapa, ragout di capriolo e besciamella al pane grigliato (Celeriac lasagna, venison ragout, and grilled bread béchamel). * Cavolo cuore di bue soffice di coregone, salsa al caffè di cicoria e perle di tapioca ai funghi di montagna (Oxheart cabbage soft with whitefish, chicory coffee sauce, and mountain mushroom tapioca pearls). * Barbabietola origami di mele antiche, anguilla laccata al Kabayaki e salsa bonne femme al sidro (Origami beetroot of ancient apples, kabayaki-glazed eel, and bonne femme cider sauce). * Ravioli di pasta fresca allo zafferano farciti di ossobuco di cervo, topinambur al vino rosso e salsa di cottura tranciata al midollo alla brace (Fresh saffron pasta ravioli stuffed with deer ossobuco, red wine Jerusalem artichoke, and pan-seared cooking sauce with grilled marrow).

Career

• Commis at Peck, Milan, Italy
• Commis cucina at Ristorante Gualtiero Marchesi, Erbusco, Italy
• Chef de partie at Restaurant Georges Blanc, Vonnas, France
• Chef de partie at Maison Bras laguiole, France
• Chef directeur at Michel Bras Toya Japon, Toya, Japan
• Executive chef at Hotel La Perla, Corvara in Badia, Italy
• Directeur Chef at La Stüa de Michil - Simone Cantafio, Corvara in Badia, Italy

Mentored by Gualtiero Marchesi, Carlo Cracco, Michel Bras, Sébastien Bras, Norbert Niederkofler.